The Guilty One

by Lisa Ballantyne

If you are certain of your views on punishment for children who kill (or may have killed) and on which adults are fit to care for any children, then this book is not for you. If you value a concerned but never sentimental story - give this a try. The concentration needed to cope with the constant time shifts between solicitor Daniel's experiences as a child and his defence of 10-year-old Sebastian, is well worth the effort.

Extract

He thought about the coming trial and the press stories which would only worsen. Sebastian - unnamed and faceless - was intrinsically evil, according to the papers. Not only was the boy deemed guilty but intrinsically evil. The press did not presume innocence. Sebastian's actual innocence concerned Daniel less than the boy's survival.